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Why Join Us?

Why join us?

Sir James Smith’s Community School is no ordinary school.

Sir Jim’s is a unique school, greatly valued by its community. We may be a small school but we have great ambition and high aspirations for our students - and so do our parents/carers! Our staff and parents/carers are committed to working together to make sure our young people's dreams come true. Sir Jim’s was rated Good in 2016 with many excellent features noted by Ofsted. Since then we have taken a number of initiatives to further improve the school bringing us closer to being judged Outstanding in all areas.

Our school is in the top 15 per cent in England for Value-Added GCSE results 2015 and has a high Progress 8 score; this means high quality of teaching and effective learning is commonplace across the school. We work closely with our eight partner primary schools to build on prior learning and are excited by the opportunities this brings to share expertise and ideas for the benefit of our students. We support all our students to realise their academic potential, while also helping them to develop and grow as people.

An increasing number of families are choosing Sir James Smith’s Community School for their children - our first-preference applications have rocketed – and the number of applications from primary schools outside our catchment is growing. Parents/carers tell us they love the atmosphere and often comment that the school is a welcoming and vibrant place; they also value the fact we are a small school with an inclusive ethos. One parent recently said “Parents/carers in the know have known for several years that this school is a little bit of magic”. Our students appreciate it too - and visitors frequently comment on how happy, respectful, polite and hardworking they are.

Whilst we cannot claim to be Hogwarts, if you want to find out what makes us special - that "little bit of magic" - please come and visit. You will be made most welcome.